Ronnie O’Sullivan Wishes He Was a Footballer in Another Life - And Slams Boxing ‘Cherry-Picking’

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is back at the Crucible for his 34th consecutive World Snooker Championship appearance, a staggering run that has stretched across four different decades and shows no sign of slowing.

The 50-year-old made light work of Chinese qualifier He Guoqiang in the first round, producing a ruthless 10-2 demolition to underline that, whatever the narrative around his future, the cue action still looks as sharp as ever.

Next up is a mouth-watering second-round showdown with one of his oldest sparring partner and fellow Class of ’92 icon John Higgins, a familiar battle between two of snooker’s most enduring greats, with decades of history already behind them.

O’SULLIVAN ON WHY HE KEEPS COMING BACK

Despite constant speculation over whether a record-breaking eighth world title would trigger retirement, O’Sullivan insists his continued presence in the sport is far more relaxed, and far less calculated, than many assume.

He says snooker now sits comfortably in his life rather than consuming it, and that’s what keeps him turning up for the biggest events.

“It has to work for me. This has to be just a fun project/hobby, if you know what I mean. So as long as certain things are good off the table, then I’ll keep pitching up playing,” O’Sullivan said. 

Far from chasing history at all costs, O’Sullivan appears increasingly at ease with picking his moments, even if the competitive fire still burns underneath.

LIFE AFTER SNOOKER — TEAM SPORTS AND A DIFFERENT DREAM

While still competing at the very top, O’Sullivan is thinking about life beyond the baize, and it doesn’t involve a quiet retirement or a life of leisure.

Instead, the snooker legend is drawn to the idea of team environments, where responsibility is shared and pressure is not carried alone. 

“But I’ve always got my eyes on other things, because I don’t want to be doing this for my whole life.”

“So, I’d like to be part of a team for whatever I do in the second part of my life. And snooker, you just have to do it all by yourself.”

He even mused about an alternative sporting life, one where he wouldn’t be isolated under the spotlight.

“I wish I was a footballer or playing in the NFL or something where you can ask the boss if I could have a month off. Or please don’t let me play against him because I don’t like playing against him.”

TAKES AIM AT BOXING

O’Sullivan also used the interview to revisit his long-standing frustration with modern boxing, contrasting it sharply with the rigid structure of snooker, where draws dictate your path and there is no avoiding elite opponents.

He believes his own career has always demanded the toughest route possible, regardless of preference or timing.

“But my whole career has been like, you’ve got to be here this time, play that person. And I’ve had to play all the best players of different generations.”

He went further, criticising what he sees as selective matchmaking in boxing today, and why it cooled his interest in the sport.

“A lot of some of these fighters who get hand-picked opponents for them, I’ve had to play the field. I always say, that’s why I fell out of love with boxing, because some people get the easy path, some people have to do the hard path.”

“I respect boxers that do the hard path, because you think, OK, at least they’re fighting the best out there. And I think my career has been like that.”

Without naming names, O’Sullivan stressed that his own journey has always involved facing every generation head-on.

“I’ve had to just do it the hard way, if you like. I don’t want too many more years of that. I think I deserve a bit of a break and deserve to be part of a team and let someone else do a little bit of work as well, but still be involved in some sort or form of.”

‘I’M NEVER GOING TO RETIRE’ 

Despite all the talk of winding down, O’Sullivan made it clear he has no intention of disappearing from sport entirely. Full retirement, he says, simply isn’t in his nature.

Even when the competitive playing days eventually end, he expects to remain involved in some capacity, just away from the relentless one-man grind of professional snooker.

“I’m never going to retire, sit on the beach. That would just drive me crazy. So, I need to have some sort of project on the go, otherwise life would be very boring,” he concluded.